Arranging St andrews

[PJ87]

Myself and my friend are 35 and 36 respectfully, both march babies so was thinking we could do a summer trip to st andrews in the july (for school holidays he is a teacher) after his 40th and just before mine

packages seem unreal.. starting at 4k for 5 nights and 4 rounds but gets you on the important old course.. I cant expect him to pay for that he got 4 kids and his wife is starting midwife training.. i also doubt the mrs would appreciate me splashing that kind of cash on myself.

So im toying with the idea of something like 2 nights stay in the town with 2 rounds of golf.. so for example book a monday flight.. arrive.. play a course the first afternoon but have pre applied for the ballot the day before for the old course itself...

my question is how likely is the ballot? and if not successful how easy would it be to just find a tee time on day 2 at another course

appreciate any experiences

 

[williamalex1]

A few years ago we got a great deal on the New Course for £50, the last week in March. That's the 1st-week that mats aren't required.

 

[PJ87]

A few years ago we got a great deal on the New Course for £50, the last week in March. That's the 1st-week that mats aren't required.

Am I right in thinking (after more reading) that I could pre book a round if I'm lucky a year before?

Defo want to try and play it

The 3 day ticket with the other courses looks good aswell .. could play 2 of them

 

[williamalex1]

Am I right in thinking (after more reading) that I could pre book a round if I'm lucky a year before?

Defo want to try and play it

The 3 day ticket with the other courses looks good aswell .. could play 2 of them

Jimaroid and Davidy233 are the men to ask about the courses around St Andrews .
But there are a few threads about St Andrews if you do a forum search

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Am I right in thinking (after more reading) that I could pre book a round if I'm lucky a year before?

Defo want to try and play it

The 3 day ticket with the other courses looks good aswell .. could play 2 of them

I went in 2018. Had a three day ticket.

Arrived Thursday, played dukes in the afternoon and started the three day ticket Friday morning. Found out while playing dukes that we’d got lucky in the ballot for Saturday morning, 6:40am tee time). As for chances in the ballot, we missed out on the Friday but got in on Saturday. If you had two or three days I reckon your chances would be very good, only one day and it’s harder to say.

Friday we played jubilee and castle, Saturday old and Eden, Sunday the new followed by ladies putting green, then flew home.

I couldn’t recommend it more. Brilliant place.

The 3 day ticket is excellent but really comes into its own if you’re playing more than 18 a day. None of the courses are tough walks (castle the exception but not too bad), so more than 18 is do able for most I’d say. We ended up carrying a half set for a few of the rounds, didn’t detract from the experience at all.

You improve your odds in the ballot by avoiding Sunday’s (old course is closed). The day we played it all those that had queued up for a tee time on the day had been sorted out, we ended up going out as a 2 ball as the others didn’t show up! If you’re desperate to play old you are more or less guaranteed if you turn up early in the singles queue. The old is a magical experience, but the other courses are just as good, if not better, they just don’t have the 1st, 17th and 18th that the old does.

Do it. You won’t regret it! If you want to get on the old enough, you will. If you don’t play it, it’s still brilliant and an excuse to go back!

 

[PJ87]

I went in 2018. Had a three day ticket.

Arrived Thursday, played dukes in the afternoon and started the three day ticket Friday morning. Found out while playing dukes that we’d got lucky in the ballot for Saturday morning, 6:40am tee time).

Friday we played jubilee and castle, Saturday old and Eden, Sunday the new followed by ladies putting green, then flew home.

I couldn’t recommend it more. Brilliant place.

The 3 day ticket is excellent but really comes into its own if you’re playing more than 18 a day. None of the courses are tough walks (castle the exception but not too bad), so more than 18 is do able for most I’d say. We ended up carrying a half set for a few of the rounds, didn’t detract from the experience at all.

You improve your odds in the ballot by avoiding Sunday’s (old course is closed). The day we played it all those that had queued up for a tee time on the day had been sorted out, we ended up going out as a 2 ball as the others didn’t show up!

Do it. You won’t regret it!

hes trying to push me to go next year lol.. patience young padawan

 

[Jimaroid]

The 3 day and 7 day tickets are the best value. They don’t guarantee tee times though. For advanced bookings for next year you’re best phoning/emailing the reservations team to find out what is available - the offers for visitors change and are hard to keep up with, especially because I’m led to believe the covid backlog is running into next year too.

The reservations team are incredibly helpful, they know they’re dealing with people’s bucket lists so they don’t mess about.

 

[PJ87]

The 3 day and 7 day tickets are the best value. They don’t guarantee tee times though. For advanced bookings for next year you’re best phoning/emailing the reservations team to find out what is available - the offers for visitors change and are hard to keep up with, especially because I’m led to believe the covid backlog is running into next year too.

The reservations team are incredibly helpful, they know they’re dealing with people’s bucket lists so they don’t mess about.

thanks . Ive had to fight him off to go for 2026 so it fits nicely.. will be good.. so 2025 i can start these calls and plan the perfect trip . seems better to do this way than via yourgolftravel who wanted a lot of cash

 

[Crow]

I was planning a trip to The Old Course for a big birthday pre-Covid but now I just can't afford the prices (and who knows what they'll be like come 2025?), so will be leaving it to the overseas tourists.

I'm not bitter

 

[patricks148]

Tbh the new and the jubilee are as good if not better as courses as TOC, though maybe not the history. Plenty of courses nearby, be it Leven or Lundin south or Monifieth and Panmur North of the tay. I'd risk it and go for the ballot and just find another nearby if you don't make it. ST Andrews is a great place to spend a few days even without playing TOC.

 

[KenL]

If you want to plat old course. Just go to St.A and enter the ballot every day. If you are not successful, plenty other courses to play.

 

[PJ87]

If you want to plat old course. Just go to St.A and enter the ballot every day. If you are not successful, plenty other courses to play.

Cheers sounds like going up on a Sunday, walk the course, stay 3 nights get a 3 day ticket and apply for the ballot for 2 of the days is the way to go

 

[rudebhoy]

Airbnb is a really good option for accommodation. We got a nice 3 bedroom house a mile from the centre for £75 a night, much cheaper than any of the hotels in town.

We did the 3 day ticket, played Eden and Strathtyrum the first day, Jubilee and the par 3 course the second day, and The Castle on the third day before heading home. Worked out well. Some of the lads also played TOC, was easy enough to get on, this was last June. Not many Yanks about then, right enough.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Sorry to revive an old thread but there are 4 of us planning a trip up in September for 3 or 4 days midweek and I just had a few questions that hopefully the wise forumites can answer for us:

1) from reading the website, am I right in thinking that for the 3 day links ticket you just pay and get your tickets on arrival ie no need to prebook or buy tickets in advance?

2) if yes to 1) how easy is it then to book onto the courses, and is there likely to be decent availability when booking at such short notice?

3) for the old course ballot, would we have a decent chance of getting in if we applied for each of the 4 days we're there or is it worth guaranteeing a spot with one of the third party providers that claim to be able to do this?

Thanks in advance!

Hefty H

 

[pendodave]

Sorry to revive an old thread but there are 4 of us planning a trip up in September for 3 or 4 days midweek and I just had a few questions that hopefully the wise forumites can answer for us:

1) from reading the website, am I right in thinking that for the 3 day links ticket you just pay and get your tickets on arrival ie no need to prebook or buy tickets in advance?

2) if yes to 1) how easy is it then to book onto the courses, and is there likely to be decent availability when booking at such short notice?

3) for the old course ballot, would we have a decent chance of getting in if we applied for each of the 4 days we're there or is it worth guaranteeing a spot with one of the third party providers that claim to be able to do this?

Thanks in advance!

Hefty H

When we went last year we booked the 3 day ticket but with 1 course a day pre-booked tee times.
It worked really well and took a lot of stress out of the will we/won't we get a slot discussions. It was a bit more expensive but not much, and as tour organiser I was very happy for us all to pony up.

 

[Dando]

It’s free on Xmas day if that helps

 

[Deleted member 25575]

Loads of options here.
You can just book a tee time the year before that will be your easiest but I don’t know when the booking sheet opens but it’s only open for a short window.
You can enter the ballot daily not guarantee you get on but there is always a chance.
You can also just go queue up at stupid o’clock in the morning (like 2-3am) and wait in Line for the booking office to open and they will fit you both in possibly as a 4ball but more likely as 4 singles or 2 2balls it all depends on gaps in the tee sheet,again not 100 guaranteed but a very good chance.

With the 3day ticket, you can get tee times at the point you buy the 3 day ticket, but only 1 tee time per day, so if you want to play 2 rounds a day (the 3 day ticket is for unlimited golf) then you have to ring up the day before at 9am to book your 2nd tee time. I’ve done this loads and never failed to get a 2nd tee time that fits, also the New course you can just walk up and wait for a tee time no need to book.

 

[Deleted member 25575]

Oh and also remember the OC is closed on a Sunday so if one of your 4 days is a Sunday you def won’t get on that day. You can however walk round the course on a Sunday

 

[Smokey Lomcevak]

My experiece with the singles’ queue in August was that 2am was nowhere near early enough to get a decent spot on the list. Unfortunately it seems it’s turned into a bit of an arms race. That being said, I did get out - but not because of my place in the queue, but because I nipped back into the pavilion at the right time. Most of those who didn’t get a confirmed slot at 6am had gone elsewhere, and those who had stayed had filled in a couple of as hoc gaps. Cue mad rush as my group were already on the tee - but I wasn’t going to turn it down.

Four would be a struggle, of course, as you all need to be in the queue from the start.